"I, uh, I would have considered it an honor to serve as my mate's exec."
"To be sure." Cat lowered her eyes only after glimpsing the mischief in Cass's.
Cass came to her husband's rescue. "Misha, the Seeker on the Maiden, will stay with them. And now that the Falchion has M'Lissa, well, I'd say we have an unbeatable triad."
"We need to keep back the Mallochon flood, no matter the cost."
"Even if it means becoming as ruthless and merciless as them?" Hawke turned his head to look directly at his brother.
"Creator willing, it won't come to that. Perhaps we will find allies along the way."
"Now if only we could find more long-range Seekers." Cass shook her head. "Unfortunately, they are not abundant."
Cat cocked her head, thinking. "They say the Vanished Ones possessed many unique mental talents."
"The Vanished Ones?" Wulfe placed a quick kiss to the crown of her head. "A myth."
"Really? The Bellons were a myth on Earth not so many generations ago, my Lord. Maybe the Vanished are out there somewhere waiting to be found."
"If they are, I hope they're waiting to say a friendly hello rather than biding time to join with the other side."
Cat thought about Wulfe's comments for a moment. "Somehow, I believe they'd be part of our team."
"Ever the optimist, aren't you, cherished one?"
"Yes. Which reminds me, I have it on good authority that if the new source for plunarium is legitimate, the Falchion will be the first Space Corps ship outfitted for a shrouding device. We'd be a bloody menace! The ghosting triad."
Wulfe leaned over to place a quick kiss on Cat's temple. "Under normal circumstances, the Corps might disapprove of two civilian ships working in tandem with a Corps vessel, but considering the extent of the Mallochon threat, I believe Command will come around."
"Especially if it means fewer losses like the ones we've suffered." Cat choked on the last word. Accepting Lyon's death at the hands of the Mallochons was hard enough. Acknowledging that he'd died to help her and her family only made the grief taste more bitter.
Wulfe's arms tightened around her. "He died as a warrior, with honor, dignity and valor. No Bellon could ask for more."
"I know, love. Mykal Lyon will be honored in our Houses for the rest of our days."
"If the Creator blesses us with another son, we will name him in Mykal's honor." Wulfe still held her close, the warmth from his body easing the ache in her heart a bit.
Hawke tugged at Cass's waist. "Come, my Lady, we should return to our ship and finalize crew transfers so we're ready to head back to the Nutralis system with the Falchion."
Cass nodded and followed her mate from the room.
After the doors closed behind them, Cat turned to face Wulfe, put her arms around him in return. Being close to her husband--one of the most treasured sensations in the universe.
"Remember, cherished one. The Creator has blessed Mykal Lyon, sent him through the Gates of Glory."
"Aye, my Lord, I know." She leaned into Wulfe, waiting for the touch of his mouth.
"Oops!" Albright stood in the doorway of the conference room. "If you don't hurry, the entire crew will revolt. Let's move!"
"Slavedriver!"
"With a contemptible sense of timing," Wulfe added. "I thought the senior staff briefing would be held here, as it usually is."
Albright shook her head. "We can't start the briefing immediately."
Wulfe's hand tightened almost imperceptibly around Cat's. "Why not?"
"Every member of your crew, and I mean every, is clamoring to see you, Captain. See both of you, actually. Riordan and I have assembled all nonessential crew on the flight deck. Blackwood is keeping the Bellon faction of our crew in line down there--and doing a fine job of it. Says she learned everything she knows from the two of you."
"Thought of almost everything, haven't you, Doctor?"
"No, Sir, I've thought of it all. Crew required to remain at their posts will have a direct visual and audio link. You and Catherine can address the troops from the observation level."
"Address the troops? Sounds a bit formal for me, Doctor."
Cat sensed Wulfe's hesitation and understood because it mirrored her own so closely. She yearned to return to her family, hold the children, rejoice over her mother's pregnancy, celebrate Cass and Hawke's miraculous return to life. And they all needed time to grieve for those who had been lost. But the crew was family, too, and friend. "This will only take a few minutes, Wulfe, and the crew deserves the time."
He looked down at her, the brown of his eyes going soft and warm. "Aye, they do."
"Let's go then." Albright led the way to the nearest lift. She rode down to the lower levels with them, walked the final steps to the observation deck beside them. At the last moment, she hung back, her hands flung out in a gesture that clearly said they were on their own, but her blue eyes glinted with good humor.
Wulfe squared his shoulders, tugged his uniform into place. Just before he stepped forward so the panels would slide open, he smoothed Cat's hair back from her face and smiled at her--at his insistence, she'd worn it loose, curling down to her knees, exactly the way he like it. "We go together, ma'ten, as it always should be."
She sucked in a deep breath, braced herself for the sight awaiting them. Hundreds of people, faces upturned, would look upon them for leadership in the war that was sure to follow the events of these last days.
The panels parted and she stepped forward with her captain, her husband. As they moved to the railing, someone--it could only be Ellery--began to play the captain's pipe, calling the assembly to attention. The notes died away to be followed by a thunderous round of applause, whoops and hollers that threatened to shake the biranium struts from the ship's bulkheads.
Hours later, Cat finally found herself alone with her husband in their quarters. The wounded had been tended, repairs were underway, and life began to take on a sense of normalcy again.
"All in all, a good day's work, ma'ten." Wulfe pulled her onto his lap, fitting their bodies together, bare skin to bare skin. He ran a finger under the finely-worked chains around her waist, draping each thigh.
"I have one task yet before me." Cat sighed as though too weary to consider more work.
"Can't it wait until the next watch?"
"No, absolutely not." Cat reached beneath a bed pillow, pulled out her husband's neck chain. "My work is not done until this has been replaced."
Laughter rumbled up from deep in Wulfe's chest. "Then by all means finish your duty."
Cat clasped the gold links around his neck. "I love you."
"And I cherish you." He kissed her, slow and sweet and deep. "Nothing will ever part us again."
"Nothing. Not ever."
"Ssh," he whispered, laying his forefinger against her lips. "Did you hear that sound?"
"What sound?" Her muscles tightened in alarm as she strained to hear any unexplained noise. "What is it?"
"I'm not sure, but I think it was the sound of the Underworld freezing over."
"Huh?"
"Well, you did just agree with me." He dodged her mock blow to the side of his head. "Or perhaps it was the click of two people fitting together perfectly."
"Ah, now that I like." Her voice faded to a husky whisper. Cat swallowed. When he grinned at her like that, the skin crinkling around his eyes....
His mouth moved toward hers. Slow. Tantalizing.
"I..."
"You what?" Wulfe's warm breath caressed her lips, her cheek.
She utterly lost the power of coherent thought as his full sensual lips skimmed over hers. His dark brown eyes, warmed to the melting point, her melting point, beckoned to her, heart and soul. She answered that summons with every dram of her being, closing that last gap of millimeters, claimed her husband's mouth when he lifted her to him.
They slid together, two halves of a whole, a perfect fit despite the size difference. Their bodies, all the hills and valleys meshed. More
importantly, their hearts joined to beat as one. Souls merged to know a brightness greater than any ever realized alone.
Cat's mind touched Wulfe's. "We are home, my Lord."
"Aye, cherished one. Home together."
~ * ~
Devoted Deceptions, A 4th Millennium Adventure, Book 3 Page 33